Container top sealing mechanism



Dec. 14, 1954 w. R. COURTNEY CONTAINER TOP SEALING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1950 NW 1 WM//// INVENTOR. William BCourfney,

1954 w. R. COURTNEY CONTAINER TOP SEALING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1950 INVENTOR. William 78. Cour fney, 3?

1366- 14, 1 5 w. R. COURTNEY CONTAINER TOP SEALING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 26, 1950 INVENTOR. William E. Courfney.

BY 7 & 5

United States Patent fitice 2,696,939 Patented Dec. '14, 1854 2,696,939 CONTAINER Tor SEALING MECHANISM William R. Courtney, Chicago, Ill. Application June 26, 1950, Serial No. 179,676 6 Claims. ((31. 2 26- 86) My present inventionis for a mechanism to. be used primarily in conjunction with. my copending applications Serial No. 179,678, filed August 10, 1950, and 2,674,398, patented April 6., 1954-, filed on even date herew1th.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a mechanism for sealing the cap or clo'sur'e onto a container which has previously been filled by the operation of my above identified application for patent on container selecting and filling mechanism.

Another object of my invention is to provide a mechanism which is first introduced downwardly over a container to be sealed, andsubsequently folds the edges of a cap or closure over the container on which it has been positioned by the mechanism disclosed in my above identified patent filed on even date herewith.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a mechanism having teeth or fingers which engage a cap or closure, bending the peripherythereof around the uppermost periphery of a container.

An even further object of my invention is to provide toggle operated sealing fingers adapted to fold a top 9 or closure over the upper periphery of a container.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section through the top or closure sealing mechanism, before the sealing operation;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the top or closure sealing mechanism, after the sealing operation;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation, partly in section, of the sealing toggles;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation, the sealing toggles;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-section on the line VV of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-section on the line VIVI of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

partly in section, of

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view in front eleva- 5 tion showing the sealing teeth;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the package top or closure;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view in front elevation of the package top or closure;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged vertical cross-section through the package top or closure;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged plan view of the container;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged vertical cross-section through the container;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary and exploded view in dvertical cross-section through the container and top; an

Fig. 14 is an enlarged and fragmentary view in vertical cross-section of the container with the top or closure sealed thereon.

In Fig. l, I have disclosed the entire mechanism in the position in which it will be at the time that a container having a top or closure placed thereon is positioned beneath toggle operated fingers adapted to seal the same thereon. In Fig. 2, I have disclosed the toggle operated fingers after they have been urged downwardly, forcing the fingers to fold the top or closure in its proper position on the container.

The hollow arm 10 is secured to the table A, extends upwardly therefrom, and is bent approximately hori zontal thereover. Within the vertical portion of the hollow arm 10, a rod 12 extends through the table A and is spring pressed in a downward direction by the coil spring,14, positioned below the table. At the lower end of the rod 12, a roller 16 is provided to bear against 2 the cam 18 keyed, or otherwise suitably secured, to a shaft 34. The shaft 34 is rotated by the mechanism disclosed in my copending application, Container Selecting and Filling Mechanism.

By the rotation of the shaft 34' rod 12 is forced upwardly into the is shown in Fig. 2, and is returned spring 14 into the position in which To the end of the rod 12 remote from the roller 16, I pivotalliy secure. a rocker arm 20 which'is suitably pivoted 'to the approximate lateral center of the horizontal portion of the arm 10 by a suitable pivot pin 22. The end of the rocker arm 20 remote from its point of connection with the rod 12, is pivotally secured by the pivot pins 24 to vertically positioned links 26. A post 27 is slidably held within suitable hearings in the end of the hollow arm lil'remot'efrorn its vertical portion upstanding from the table A. The post 27 is raised and held up by the stud 29 which passes therethrough and bears against the rocke arm 20.

The .post 27 is and its cam 18, the position in which it by the action of the it is shown in Fig. 1.

positioned directly above the carriage 7-4 which is advanced step-by-s'tep by the conveyor chains and 72. It, will be understood that a suitable container 78 will have been positioned on the carriage 74 previous to its stop in its step-by-step motion beneath the vertically positioned post 27. Likewise, before the container 78 has reached the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the contents of an egg E have been placed therein by the mechanism disclosed in my copendin gapplication. (Any other material inight obviously be placed in the container.) Also by my copending application, no w Pat. 2,674,398, the closure of cap C has been positione on, top of the container 78 which had been previously filled.

By the upward motion of the rod 12, as a result of the revolution of the cam 18 and its high lobe forcing against the roller 16, the rocker arm 20 will be changed from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2. That motion will allow the post 27 to move downwardly, by gravitation, bringing the base 28 thereof into engagement with the cap C and holding the same in its proper position on the container 78. By the further downward rocking of the rocker arm 20 on its pivot pin 22, the collar 30 secured to the links 26 will be forced downwardly urging the toggle arms 32 and 34 into the position in which they are shown in Fig. 2. By such change of position of the toggle arms, the fingers 36, which are pivotally secured to the base 28 and which are integral with the toggle arm 34, will be shifted so that their extreme ends will urge the periphery of the cap C over the outstanding upper periphery of the container 78. Thus, by the rocking motion of the rocker arm 20, the toggle arms 32 and 34 will be urged downwardly so that the fingers 36, already in engagement with the periphery of the cap C, will fold the same over the upper periphery of the container 78, sealing the same.

Outstanding from the post 27, I provide a stud 38 adapted to come into contact with a set screw 40, ad-

-; justablv screwed into the periphery of the bearing for the post 27 at the end of the hollow arm remote from its point of attachment to the table A. The screw 40 may be adjusted so that the post 27 may be stopped in its gravitationally downward motion at a predetermined time by the stud 38 coming into contact therewith. Such adjustment prohibits the base 28 from being forced downwardly enough to crush the cap C before the collar 30 is forced further downwardly to actuate the fingers 36 and bend the periphery of the cap C over the upper periphery of the container 78.

Figs. 8 to 14 inclusive are enlarged views of the package and top. It will be obvious from those figures that the top or cap C will fit over the container 78 and be urged down into its sealed position, as shown in Fig. 14. Preferably the cap C will be provided with a portion 42 which may be torn therefrom by raising the tab 44 and tearing the same off from the cap C so that the white portion of an egg E, which has been previously placed within the container 78, maybe removed therefrom, leaving the yolk of the egg E within-.the container. If it is desired to remove the entire contents from the container 78, the entire cap C may be removed therefrom so that the entire contents may be readily removed.

I claim:

1. A container top sealing mechanism including a vertically and slidably supported post, a foot secured to the bottom end of said post and adapted to rest on a cap to be sealed, a collar slidable on said post, a bifurcated rocker arm straddling said post, links between said collar and the bifurcated rocker arm, and toggle joints pivoted to said foot and collar, said toggle joints having fingers adjacent the foot and movable into contact with said cap and operable only after said collar has ceased to advance.

2. A container top sealing mechanism including a vertically and slidably supported post, a foot secured to the bottom end of the said post and adapted to rest on a cap to be sealed, a collar slidable on said post, a bifurcated rocker arm, links straddling said post secured to said collar and pivotally connected to said bifurcated rocker arm, and toggle joints pivoted to the said foot and the said collar, the link of said toggle joint attached to the said foot having a downwardly curved finger operable only after said foot has come to rest.

3. A container top sealing mechanism including a ver' tically supported and slidable post, a foot secured to the bottom end of the said post, a collar slidable on the said post, a bifurcated rocker arm, links pivoted to the said rocker arm and secured on the said collar, toggle joints pivotally secured to the said collar and foot, and downwardly curved fingers on the toggle link pivoted to the said foot, said toggle joints operable only after said foot rest has completed its advance.

4. A container top sealing mechanism including a vertically supported and slidable post, a foot secured to the bottom end of the said post, a collar slidable on the said post, a bifurcated rocker arm, links pivoted to the said rocker arm and bearing on the said collar, toggle joints pivotally secured to the saidcollar and foot, and fingers on the toggle link pivoted to the said foot, the said fingers adapted to curve around the periphery of said foot, said toggle operable only after said foot has ceased vertical movement.

5. In a top sealing machine a vertically and gravitationally slidable post having a foot at its base end, a collar slidable around the said post, means raising and lowering the said collar, toggle joints pivoted to the said foot and the said collar, and jaws on the said toggle joints pivoted to the foot, said jaws adapted to encompass the said base, said encompassment efiective only after said foot has ceased advancing.

6. In a top sealing machine a vertically and gravitationally slidable post having a foot adapted to rest on a cap placed on a container, a collar slidable around the said post; a bifurcated rocker arm raising and lowering the said collar, toggle joints pivoted between the said foot and collar, and jaws on the links of said toggle joint contacting the said top only after said foot has come to rest.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,316,253 Phillips Sept. 16, 1919 1,472,489 Nordstrom Oct. 30, 1923 1,834,712 Jovignot Dec. 1, 1931 1,924,753 Roberts Aug. 29, 1933 2,010,392 Gough Aug. 6, 1935 2,189,628 Corsi Feb. 6, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 179,075 Germany Nov. 27, 1906 

